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Baked Barley with Shiitake Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Cooking Light

Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

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Outstanding

Slow baking allows the barley to absorb the woodsy flavor of the mushrooms and the sweetness of the caramelized onion.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cup)

Ingredients

  • 2  tablespoons  butter
  • 4 1/2  cups  chopped onion (about 3 medium)
  • 1  teaspoon  sugar
  • 3  cups  sliced button mushrooms (about 9 ounces)
  • 3  cups  sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
  • 1 1/2  cups  uncooked pearl barley
  • 1  tablespoon  low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
  • 1/8  teaspoon  dried thyme
  • 4  cups  vegetable broth
  • Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sugar; cover and cook 25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add barley; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour broth over barley mixture; cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until barley is tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:
292 (17% from fat)
Fat:
5.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:
9.5g
Carbohydrate:
55.1g
Fiber:
10.7g
Cholesterol:
10.4mg
Iron:
2.4mg
Sodium:
908mg
Calcium:
42mg
Jeanne Lemlin, Cooking Light, MARCH 2003